Using a MacBook Air to rDac to fiio E9 using mostly spotify. I don't know what is going on. But tomorrow I am getting the Audiolab M-Dac and will see if it makes a difference. Have spent so much money on this stuff my pocket is empty now. So yes someone would be getting a bargain if things are the same after a week.

Coming from HD-650 to HE-500, I had to use significantly warmer dac+amp from the ones you mention

Just got these and mmm they are good. Thinking about trying the velour pads, but I've never changed ear pads before and quite frankly I'm terrified. Any advice?

Cut a small rectangle from a random hard plastic gift/credit card, of about 5cm x 1cm. Trim the corners of the rectangle cutout so that they are rounded off. Use that to pop in/out the tabs of the mounting ring that secure the earpads onto the headphones.

There are four such tabs, once you pop out two adjacent tabs out of those four with the card cutout, the earpad comes right off.

Cut a small rectangle from a random hard plastic gift/credit card, of about 5cm x 1cm. Trim the corners of the rectangle cutout so that they are rounded off. Use that to pop in/out the tabs of the mounting ring that secure the earpads onto the headphones.

There are four such tabs, once you pop out two adjacent tabs out of those four with the card cutout, the earpad comes right off.

There are actually 3 items

1) phones

2) plastic slot to mount the pleather/velour pads

3) pleather/velour pads

It would be good if they can provide 2 plastic slot. Easier for everyone to attach and de-attach the 2 different pads.

Cut a small rectangle from a random hard plastic gift/credit card, of about 5cm x 1cm. Trim the corners of the rectangle cutout so that they are rounded off. Use that to pop in/out the tabs of the mounting ring that secure the earpads onto the headphones.

There are four such tabs, once you pop out two adjacent tabs out of those four with the card cutout, the earpad comes right off.

All it took was 20 hrs of burnin for my HE500 to become world class . The detail is back, the soundstage is amazing, vocal are wow. Man I have seen these cans go from very good to bad to extra ordinary. Just did a comparison with my HD650 and they have now surpassed the sound quality . They sound better than the HD650 really I a, shocked. What a awesome set of cans.

They are being powered by the Audiolab M-Dac which in it self a great unit. Time to get rid of my rPac, FiioE9K, and Akg702 and maybe the HD650.